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Quantitation of HIV-1 in whole blood of infected children
A Alimenti1, K Luzuriaga, J L Sullivan
1Department of Paediatrics and Microbiology, Hôpital Universitaire Saint-Pierre, Brussels, Belgium.
Insights
Quantifying human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load in whole blood cultures is a reliable and sensitive method for infected children. This technique accurately measures viral load, aiding in disease management.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Accurate quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load is crucial for managing pediatric infections.
- Traditional methods often involve peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or plasma, which may not capture the full viral burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the use of whole blood cultures for quantifying HIV-1 viral load in infected children.
- To assess the sensitivity and correlation of whole blood viral load measurements with established methods.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative HIV-1 cultures were performed on unfractionated whole blood using an end-point dilution technique.
- Results were compared with simultaneous quantitative cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma from 43 HIV-1-infected children.
- Sequential monthly measurements were conducted in a subset of patients.
Main Results:
- The whole blood culture method demonstrated good sensitivity (93%).
- A strong correlation (r = 0.80) was found between whole blood viral titres and those derived from PBMC and plasma.
- Sequential measurements showed stability in viral titres within one dilution for most patients.
Conclusions:
- Quantifying HIV-1 in unfractionated whole blood provides a reliable and sensitive measurement of viral load in pediatric patients.
- This technique offers a viable alternative for viral load assessment in children with HIV-1 infection.
Objective:
To validate the technique of HIV-1 culture from whole blood for the quantitation of viral load in infected children.
Patients:
Forty-three HIV-1-infected children were followed in two paediatric centres.
Methods:
Quantitative HIV-1 cultures from unfractionated whole blood using an end-point dilution technique were compared with simultaneous quantitative cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma.
Results:
Good sensitivity (93%) of the methods used was confirmed. A close correlation (r = 0.80) was observed between HIV-1 titres measured directly from whole blood and those expected from PBMC and plasma titres. The mean whole blood viral load was higher in patients with more severe signs of disease, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The whole blood viral titres measured sequentially at monthly intervals remained within one dilution of each other in 16 of the 22 patients studied.
Conclusion:
In this study, the quantitation of HIV-1 in unfractionated blood allowed for a reliable and sensitive measurement of the whole blood viral load in infected children.